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The Museum’s Collections document the fate of Holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. Search below to view digital records and find material that you can access at our library and at the Shapell Center.

Shimon Sousson was born on February 29, 1921 in small town in Morocco. When he was four months old, his family moved to Casablanca. He was one of 12 children, and his father was a painter. Shimon attended the Alliance school but worked after class each day to help earn money. Shimon was good in math so after graduating he found work first as a book-keeper and then for an American firm. 1940 began to work with French navy. Shimon was in charge of seeing what technical equipment the boats lacked. Most of the workers there were Arabs but there were also a few other Jews. One day some Germans inspected the plant and checked everyone's identification cards but as the names were written in Arabic, they never spotted the Jews. His supervisor also was Jewish so was Shimon had a protected position and even able to help underground. In 1940 he married wife Annette (Chana) Louk in 1940, and their son born Mordechai was born on February 2, 1941. Since the Vichy government severely limited rations for Jews and Arabs, Shimon could not legally purchase milk for the baby. Shimon also gathered with friends to listen illegally to General De Gaulle on British radio. Once, they were joined but the son of a policeman. He returned home and informed his father who promptly arrested Shimon and his friends. Luckily one of his friends was the brother of someone with influence who arranged for their release. Shimon next ran afoul of the regime in August 1942. He took his wife and son swimming after work but was accused of the Vichy police of having overstayed the maximum time allowed. They took him into a small room and beat him bloody. After being released Shimon went to a doctor who dressed his wounds. The doctor, who was a European Jew who had fled to North Africa, treated him without charge. Shimon's colleagues at work were furious at what had transpired and wrote a letter protesting the violation of Shimon's human rights. Their letter was not answered, but the next time Shimon went to the pool, his attackers were not there.

A few months later the Americans began their campaign in North Africa and liberated Morocco. After liberation Shimon became active in the Zionist organization, Poalei Zion and decided to immigrate to Israel. In 1948 he and his family moved to Algeria to assist other Jews trying to leave. From there he accompanied future immigrants to Marseilles to await their departure. He and his family lived in Marseilles in am immigrant camp, Mahane David, with 600 people. Mordechai went on ahead to Israel on Youth Aliyah and came to Kibbutz Nitzanim. Shimon and Chana remained in Mahane David until its close in 1951. They then immigrated to Israel on the Negba.

Learn about over 1,000 camps and ghettos in Volume I and II of this encyclopedia, which are available as a free PDF download. This reference provides text, photographs, charts, maps, and extensive indexes.